The chance of having a child with Progeria is approximately 1 in 4 – 8 million ("Progeria 101/FAQ"). This means that there are approximately 200-250 people diagnosed with Progeria in the world at any time (Progeria 101/FAQ"). Sam G. Berns was among those few until he died earlier this year, on January 14, from complications of progeria at the age of seventeen. He was an intelligent student attending Foxboro High School in Foxboro, Massachusetts During his life, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts, he was leader of the percussion section in the band from his high school, spoke at two TED conferences and was interviewed on national television (ABC and NPR. His hometown is only 10 miles from mine, which allowed me to learn about his life's journey from the community At seventeen he had the body of a one hundred and thirty-six year old man. For those who have Progeria, aging is eight times faster than the average person and begins within the first few years of life ("Children Living with Progeria"). Sam's inspiring life was the central reason for my decision to research the biology behind Progeria and seek knowledge of the lives of those affected by it. Before researching, I knew little about the causes, treatments, and symptoms of Progeria. All I knew was that children living with it had similar appearances due to their premature aging and would pass away at a young age. After Sam Bern died, I asked my mother, a registered nurse, if she had ever seen a patient with Progeria. She responded by saying yes, during her stay at Children's Hospital Boston The boy she saw was in good spirits despite his constant pain, and was determined to live as best he could... according to the document... Peabody, MA : Progeria Research Foundation, 2010. 17. Print.NIH/National Human Genome Research Institute. "New clues to aging: gene splicing mechanism triggers both premature aging syndrome and normal cellular aging." Everyday science. Science Daily, June 14, 2011. Web. March 31, 2014. "Progeria 101/FAQ." Progeria Research Foundation. Np, nd Web. March 31, 2014. “Progeria Clinical Studies.” Progeria Research Foundation. Np, nd Web. April 31, 2014. “Sunshine Foundation: The Original Wish-Granting Organization.” 24th Progeria meeting. Sunshine Foundation and Web. March 31, 2014."WE DID IT! The first treatment for progeria discovered!!" Progeria Research Foundation. Np, nd Web. March 31, 2014. "What Causes Progeria? - Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome." What are the causes of progeria? - Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. Np, nd Web. March 31. 2014.